Label Guidelines for cider and other fermented fruit drinks

The category of cider and other fermented drinks is regulated by the National Food Agency, so if you want to label your drink you should consider their requirements, which are mostly common to all food categories.

The business operator is responsible for the accuracy of the food label placed for sale in Georgia. When creating a product label, the following requirements should be considered:

• • The label must be in Georgian. Information must be complete, clear, visible and easy to read;
  • Name and composition should be in one field of view;
  • The label must be attached to the packaged product in such a way that it cannot be easily removed;
  • It is allowed to place a written, printed or graphic image on the label.

The label must include the following mandatory information:

• The name of the product, which should indicate the true nature;
• The list of ingredients must be written in descending order of mass, after the heading “Ingredients” (except when the food contains only one ingredient);
• In the case of compounded ingredients, their list in parentheses with the indication of the composition, in descending order of mass;
• If the content of the ingredient gives specific properties to the product, its initial amount should be indicated;
• If the content of one or more ingredients is less than 5% and gives specific properties to the product, it is necessary to indicate its/their percentage content on the label. If the content of the ingredient is less than 5% and it does not give specific properties to the food, its indication is not mandatory;
• If water is added, it is necessary to indicate its quantity, unless water is a component of the formulated ingredient and this ingredient is presented under its own name in the “ingredient” (eg, brine). It is not necessary to specify water or other volatile ingredients if they evaporate during the technological process;
• In the case of concentrated and dehydrated product, when the mass fraction of the original concentration or moisture is restored by adding water, the composition of the ingredient or ingredients in the restored food must be indicated;
• It is mandatory to indicate in the composition products that cause hypersensitivity (allergic reaction) in some people. Such products include grains containing gluten (wheat, rye, barley, oats or their hybrids), crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans, milk (including lactose), nuts, walnuts, almonds, chestnuts, Pistachio nuts, representatives of the umbelliferous family and products derived from them, sulfur gas and sulfites, the concentration of which exceeds 10 mg/kg, 10 mg/l;
• Additives used in the “composition”;
• In the case of using a supplement with a technological purpose, it is necessary to indicate the purpose of use;
  If flavoring is used, indication of its type: “natural”, “artificial”, “identical to natural”;
• Net weight (kg, g; l, ml);
• If the product is represented by 2 or more packaged units that are not intended for separate sale, the unit mass must be indicated together with the total mass;
• If the product is placed in a liquid volume (for example, in brine), along with the total mass, it is necessary to indicate the mass of the main product by converting it to dry matter;
• Country where it is coming from;
• Name, address of the manufacturer, appraiser, distributor, importer or exporter;
• Date of manufacture – number, month and year;
• Shelf life;
• For product whose shelf life does not exceed 3 months, the day and month must be indicated and the words “use by … until” must be indicated;
• Storage conditions (if necessary);
• Rules of use (if necessary);
• The inscription “genetically modified organism”, (GMO) if the genetically modified components are more than 0.9% of the total mass of the product. If one of the ingredients is such, then the corresponding reference must be in the composition;
• Quantitative content and energy value of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

It is not allowed to indicate the terms “biological”, “ecological”, “eco”, “bio”, “organic” and any combination of them on the product label, if the production/manufacturing of the product was not carried out in the manner of organic production.